Pastor Syvertsen: Don't keep Christ in Christmas

Pastor Lloyd Syvertsen

Published 10:29 pm, Friday, January 18, 2013

Although it's been almost a month since Christmas Day, I've noticed there are still a few remnants of Christmas in some yards and on some homes in our community.

But most of the characters, displays and lights have been taken down and put away until next season.

Each year, among the assorted displays, I usually see a sign, often in front of a church, which reads, "Keep Christ in Christmas." I assume these signs are generally displayed to counter the increasingly common "Merry Xmas" signs that are assumed to be an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. What many people don't realize is that the X in these signs originally was not intended as the English letter X, but the Greek letter chi (X), which is the first letter of Christ in Greek. So these early signs were intended to be an abbreviated form, not a removal of Christ from the greeting.

Even knowing this, I must admit that I too would prefer to see Christ's name kept in the Christmas greeting. But there is another sense in which I would like to say, "Don't keep Christ in Christmas."

Unfortunately, for many people Christmastime is the only season of the year in which Christ gets acknowledged.

It may take the form of a nativity scene in or outside of their home, which includes the baby Jesus; or it may take the form of attending a church service or two where the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus is read or re-enacted; or it may take the form of some Christmas carols that are sung declaring the birth of the newborn King.

But too often this is the only time of the year Jesus gets any recognition.

People "keep" Christ in Christmas in that they confine or limit him to this one season or day of the year. When the Christmas decorations come down, Jesus gets put away until next year in more than just the nativity scene.

I believe Jesus not only wants to be a part of our Christmas season but he wants to be a part of every season, every day and every moment of our lives. He wants to be included in everything we do. One of the names that Jesus was given at his birth was Immanuel -- which means "God with us." And His desire is to be with us at all times and places.

The apostle Paul understood this when he wrote these words:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

And in another of His epistles he writes:

--¦whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)

The Bible is clear that God wants us to acknowledge Him in all our ways and in all our days. So let me encourage you this year to not put Jesus away with your Christmas decorations, but to keep him out all year long.

Don't keep Christ in Christmas, but give Him access to every day of your year in 2013. You'll be glad you did -- and so will He.